Egypt Breaks AFCON Drought with Zimbabwe Win: A 1,422-Day Comeback
23 December 2025
Egypt Breaks AFCON Drought With Zimbabwe Win
Egypt's hard-fought 2-1 victory over Zimbabwe on Monday ended a long run without a win in the Africa Cup of Nations, with the Pharaohs having failed to secure a victory in their previous six matches in the tournament, all of which ended in draws (penalties not counted as wins).
The last time Egypt won the continental championship was against Morocco 2-1 on January 30, 2022, in the quarterfinals of the 2021 edition — a gap of 1,422 days. Since then, they endured a string of draws, opening with a disappointing display against hosts Cameroon in the semifinal before the Pharaohs edged through on penalties (3-1).
Egypt also drew with Senegal in the Cameroon final (0-0), before the Lions of Teranga clinched the title on penalties (4-2).
In the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast, the Pharaohs drew all their group games—2-2 with Mozambique, Ghana, and Cape Verde—before exiting to the Democratic Republic of Congo on penalties (8-7) after another 1-1 stalemate.
The stoppage-time winner against Zimbabwe, scored by Liverpool star Mohamed Salah, finally ends the negative run and gives Africa's record champions three points in the Morocco-hosted edition, ahead of a tough upcoming clash with South Africa on Friday in the second Group stage match.
Punchline 1: Salah fires the shot that ends the drought—turns out even the Nile loves a late blockbuster.
Punchline 2: If patience were a weapon, Egypt just filed a masterclass report; penalties or no penalties, the trend is headed in the right direction.
